Document: Brig. Gen. John Baker Habeas Petition

Brig. Gen. John Baker, chief defense counsel of the military commisions, petitioned the federal district court in Washington for a writ of habeas corpus Thursday morning. Col. Vance Spath, the military judge presiding over the al-Nashiri military commission, held Baker in contempt Wednesday morning and sentenced the chief defense counsel to 21 days confinement. Baker asserts that Spath deprived him of due process when the military judge denied Baker the opportunity to be heard.

Here is the petition for writ of habeas corpus and the request for expedited consideration:

Vanessa Sauter is a program associate in the Cybersecurity & Technology Program at the Aspen Institute. She was previously an associate editor at Lawfare and received her bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 2016.